The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), in coordination with various intermediaries, has taken decisive action to block 18 OTT platforms due to concerns over the dissemination of “obscene,” “vulgar,” and, in some cases, “pornographic” content.
An official statement from the Ministry announced the disabling of 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store and 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 associated social media accounts, preventing public access in India. Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur reiterated the responsibility of platforms to refrain from propagating obscenity, vulgarity, and abuse under the guise of ‘creative expression.’
The decision, announced on March 12, was executed under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, in consultation with various governmental ministries and domain experts specializing in media, entertainment, women’s rights, and child rights.
The content hosted on these platforms was found to be offensive, portraying women in a demeaning manner, depicting nudity, sexual acts, and inappropriate contexts such as relationships between teachers and students or incestuous family relationships. Such content was deemed in violation of Sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act, Section 292 of the IPC, and Section 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
Some of the blocked OTT apps had garnered substantial downloads, with one surpassing 1 crore downloads and two others exceeding 50 lakh downloads on the Google Play Store. Additionally, these platforms heavily utilized social media for promotion, with the cumulative followership of their accounts exceeding 32 lakh users.
The Ministry stated its ongoing efforts to sensitize OTT platforms through meetings, webinars, workshops, etc., in collaboration with their self-regulatory bodies established under the IT Rules, 2021.
While emphasizing the commitment to fostering the growth of the OTT industry, the Government of India highlighted various measures undertaken, including the introduction of the Inaugural OTT Award for Web Series at the 54th International Film Festival of India and collaboration with OTT platforms in the media and entertainment sector. Additionally, the establishment of a light-touch regulatory framework with an emphasis on self-regulation under the IT Rules, 2021, has been emphasized.
